New releases last eight weeks: Dubstep

Review: Following 'Dreams' earlier this year Russian sub server Blocklab returns to White Peach to knock our blocks off again. 'Billy Brandon' sets the scene with a classic bouncer sample the older heads will probably recognise. It's backed up by a beautiful range of flavours... 'Motto' is all about the woozy, wavy modernist wobbles, 'Smoog' brings that slinky, sleazy funk like Silkie while 'Ocean Floor' sweeps us clean with pure emotion. One of the most interesting new dubstep producers to emerge in recent years; big shouts to Blocky.

Review: War Remix brings together Bukkha, Dubbing Sun, Kol Ee and Family Tree Sound for a deep, bass-heavy reimagining of reggae and dub. The track is built around atmospheric grooves that flex with a blend of electronic textures and organic instrumentation and there's an undeniable urgency in the mix, with each artist adding their own layersiwhether it's the skittering percussion, dubbed-out vocals, or deep sub-bass that keeps everything moving forward. It's a remix that feels grounded in the roots of dub but pushes into new territory, a space where tradition meets innovation. Expect a sound that hits hard on the dancefloor but leaves room for introspection too. This release adds something fresh for fans of experimental reggae and dub, with enough of the old school to keep it connected.

Review: London trio Damos Room serve up their take on dub-inspired bass music on this new EP which emerged from a rare collaborative session in Elijah Minnelli's loft. 'Commencement' opens with a deep, droning bass groove that's topped with a stream of conscious muttering to create a moody and hypnotic sound. 'Mineral Blend' brings a laid-back dancehall vibe with dreamy echoes of past sessions and remixers Gonjasufi, Lewi Boome, Dome Zero and Polyop individually infuse the tracks with dub techno, acid and experimental twists best highlighted by Gonjasufi's haunting transformation of 'Commencement' into a misty, immersive bit of sonic menace.

Review: .Following rumblers and shakers on the likes of Well Rounded and Low End Music, Jackson makes his debut on Liverpool imprint LDH. Proffering some of his wooziest brews so far, the whole collection smacks of 3am liberty. From the moment the creepy opener 'Genie' wafts into view until the very last stench of triumphant hypnosis on the bruk influenced 'Power' leaves your brain, the whole collection is an assault of the vibe senses. The tumbling organs and heavy harmonicas on 'Shakey Shakey' and the trippy boom bap of 'Static' can't go unrecognised for that matter. Shake what your Jackson gave you.

Review: The second instalment of Brownswood Recordings' Remix Editions series features two dancefloor hitters; one from new kids on the block Izco & Reek0 and the other from sub-bass heavyweight Coki. Each producer turning their hands to a remix from a different track from Oreglo's debut EP, 'Not Real People', both efforts turn out to be massive. Izco and Reek0's version of 'Levels' opens the proceedings with a stargazing march, fusing motifs of amapiano, carnival and UK jazz. Coki's flipside is much more dubious, working in a much lower dubstep register, and filtering Oreglo's original 'Opedge' jazz instrumentation into a mnemonic groundwork for a grime-caked heater.

Review: Apocalypto! Foreign Beggar PAV4N lays down some hard hitting truths with the hard hitting Truth and the results are sizzling in moody futurist fusion. 'Brave New World' (with Saskilla) marches us slap bang into the middle of a 23rd century war, 'Pythons' slithers with so much attitude you can feel squeezing you, softening you up for Pav's lunchtime treat. 'Online Overdose' (with Ashez) hurls us into a neon swing, pinging through the arpeggiated sci-fi swagger before 'Pyrex Jackie' goes straight up Universal Soldier. Metal jacket tackle.

Review: Brussels' Sagat is making ever more of a name for himself with his bass-heavy sounds and wonky perspective on rhythm. This time out he blends great harmony, trippy designs and innovative groove patterns on an EP for the fledgling Private Stress. '8 Legs' is a roaming percussive rattler, 'Floor Structure' taps into classic bass and dub and 'Yeah Tomorrow' brings more light and airy melody over a skiing and broken beat low end that makes you want to rise to your toes. 'DN2' shuts down with a menacing atmosphere and eerie pads.

Review: Seafront International returns with some classic roots sounds from U Brown with a dub from Jah Warrior. Recorded at Conscious Sounds studio in London 2001, the sounds are stripped down to raw bass and drum dynamics by producer Jah Warrior who was clearly intent on allowing his work to be a personal platform for U Brown to offer up his own lyrical expressions and his musical messages. It's a track delivered with energy and serious focus and will sound best nice and loud.

Review: Repping Sugar Records and Tanum Sounds, Winsome comes through with three really interesting perspectives. 'Tab' is a unique and highly springy piece of work as it works and wriggles its away around some well sculpted table drum hits and sub plunges. '24gb' takes us down a much dreamier pathway, sitting somewhere between Indian Ropeman and Chicken Lips. Finally 'Who' closes this stunning EP with a faraway drone. Intense.

Review: Czech deepsmith WZ is all leng and 'No Skeng' these days as he lays down a massive five piece on Innamind. His second appearance on the label this year, this EP follows 'Cold Blooded/Yeah' with a whole gamut of wrigglers and vibe-outs. Highlights range from the squelchy freeform bassline modulations and Zed Bias style swing on 'Blaze Up' to the pulsating meditative rumbles of 'Late Night Tip'. What a range, what a spread. WZ definitely knows his ABCs right here.

Review: One of the most interesting artists to have emerged from the Czech and Slovak based crossbreed movements that dominated the first decade of the century on the harder side of d&b, Forbidden Society has evolved and morphed with the times to a much deeper, emotionally-wrought but still hard-assed sound. This seventh studio album (released on Noisia's iconic Vision imprint) is the best version of his fusions so far. From the dark industrial strength dubstep swagger of 'Wish' to the sci-fi hurricane of cuts like 'Deception' and 'Reaching Zero', this is an incredible body of work from an impressive and unique craftsman.

Review: DDD fam since 2019, Costa Rico artist Jleon comes correct with this wildly ambitious debut album. Conceptually it's a deep dive into the fantastic as he re-imagines the Spanish conquistadors being met by an angry octopus (Sibu) Musically it's just as much of a scuba operation as go 20,000 leagues deep through all manner of rhythms, textures and strange trippy sonic realms. From the system-shaking strut of 'Boruca Mask' to the psychedelic sludge of 'Control Denied' by way of the eerie and tense 'Visit', this is an exceptional album that wraps you up and seems to digest you whether you're locked in on the dancefloor or headphones. Wakey wakey.

Review:  South London's Loefah has long been a pivotal figure in the UK's underground evolution, particularly on the bossier end of the spectrum. The cut figure is a master in the club too and this recording from the iconic Bloc Weekender in 2011 proves that as it now gets pressed up to a brand new cassette from the Never Sleep charity tape series. It showcases UK club futurism by blending hybrid transatlantic sounds with vibrant MC SP. Featuring soon-to-be Swamp81 classics, the set fuses Miami-style bass, hip-hop elements and UK hardcore into the darker, more melody-driven side of 2011 sounds. All proceeds benefit Lives Not Knives who support youth projects in South London.

Review: A vrooming new V/A comp from London's bass music bacchanals 1985 Music, following up a sellout show at the Roundhouse earlier in 2024. Helmed up by pensive liquid purveyor come bass musical all-rounder Alix Perez, the label now compile several star tracks from throughout the year, setting them side-by-side on wax for the first time. Including trax by Perez, Drone, Cesco, Visages, Hijinx and Onhell, the general movement is from sociopathic grimescape though to bear trap tricksiness, shortly tied up in an extended jungle and d&b coda on the B; Paige Julia's 'Indisputable' is as brazenly fearless as Flowdan's opening flows are, though a continual liquefaction occurs therefrom; the best element heard towards the end has to be the erratic bubblegum cutups heard on Visages' 'Dol Guldur'.

Review: Brittle bass music from 1985 Music, who present the first edition of Fragment, their new V/A albums series focusing on dubstep, drum & bass and experimental oddities in between. Convoking names both old and new, well-established and less so, this fiendish silicone collection bottles ten headtop hitters onto a single 3xLP gatefold record, channelling a whole uncountable host of aggressive intentions in the process. When it comes to being whacked round the head, we're not talking sugar glass either: with tracks from mainstays Headland, Drone and Visages, all the way up the cullet pile to 1985 label boss Alix Perez with the relatively chic 'Bloomsbury', all tracks herein command the utmost polish, shrillness and pressure, never failing to push us to the edges of our seats.

Review: The release of dc15 in 2002 by Mike Schommer stands as a defining moment in the annals of dub techno, a genre that has shaped and influenced countless artists since its inception. Now on vinyl for the first time is some of the most exciting news in the genre in some time. Recorded in the Crown Motel on Woodward/McNichols in Detroit, this album is more than just a collection of tracks; it is a sonic snapshot of a specific time and place, a testament to the transient and often overlooked corners of Detroit that inspired its creation. Schommer, co-founder of the influential DeepChord label alongside Rod Modell, was instrumental in pushing the boundaries of electronic music in the late 1990s. DeepChord quickly became synonymous with the second wave of the Basic Channel sound, achieving cult status among electronic music enthusiasts worldwide. The label's unique approach to dub technoimelding the gritty, urban soundscapes of Detroit with the echoing, reverberant textures of dubiset a new standard for the genre, one that many have tried to emulate but few have truly captured.

dc15 exemplifies this approach. The album was crafted in a motel room, with Schommer allowing the environment to seep into the music. The result is a deeply introspective and atmospheric experience, with each track carrying the weight of its surroundings. The ambient sounds of the motel, the distant hum of traffic, and the subtle movements of transient life all find their way into the fabric of the music, creating a body of work that is both haunting and immersive. The recording process itself was as much about capturing the mood of the environment as it was about producing music, a holistic approach that has become a hallmark of Schommer's work.

The album's packaging was as unique as its contents. Released as a limited edition CDr, dc15 was made available exclusively through the DeepChord website on February 15, 2002, as a preorder for a short time. Limited to just 50 copies, the original release came in a simple white cardboard sleeve with a clear sticker containing black-and-white artwork affixed to the center. Each CDr was individually numbered, with a digital print on the clear plastic part of the disc. This meticulous attention to detail in both the music and its presentation further solidified the album's status as a coveted collector's item, a true gem in the dub techno world.